Gas pump



. 1 1933- w. F. BORGERD ET AL I v2,124,181

GAS PUMP Original Filed Dec. 29, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet l y 1938- w. F. BORGERD ET AL 2,124,181

GAS PUMP Original Filed Dec. 29, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 19, 1938. w. F. BORGERD ET AL 2,124,131

' GAS PUMP Original Filed Dec. 29, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 19, 1938 GAS PUMP William F. Borgerd, Riverside, Fred L. McCune and Charles A. Uherek, Chicago, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Original application December 29, 1934, Serial Divided and this application July 25, 1936, Serial No. 92,486

10 Claims. (Cl. 23079) This application is a division of application which resulted in Patent No. 2,077,871, April 20, 1937.

The invention relates to a gas pump. More specifically it relates to a gas pump having a vane impeller in which liquid is utilized as a sealing medium.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved gas pump of the type above re- -ferred to in which a liquid sealing medium becomes depleted by operation of the pump, whereby the pumping action is automatically stopped after the seal has been broken by depletion of the liquid.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is an end elevation of the air' circulating pump;

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the compressor motor to which the air pump is connected being shown in side elevation;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the inside of the pump housing cover plate;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the inside of the pump housing;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the outer end of the pump impeller; 1

Figure 6 is an end elevation of the pump inlet and outlet plate from the inner side thereof;

Figure 7 is an end elevation of the pump inlet and outlet plate taken from the outer side; and,

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the plate shown in Figures 6 and 7.

Referring to the drawings, a portion 26 of an electric driving motor is shown. A pump housing 21 is rigidly secured by a plurality of integral extensions 28 bolted to the motor frame. The pump housing 21 is formed as a casting cored out to accommodate a pump impeller 29 and other passages forming the pump unit.

The impeller 29, as shown in Figure 5, is provided with a center portion 39 formed with an axial bore by which the impeller is secured on an extension 3| of the motor shaft. Said shaft extends through an opening 32 in the pump housing 1 without contacting the housing. A sealing member 33, formed with an annular channel to prevent the escape of liquid, is mounted on the housing wall within the housing around the shaft 3! out of contact therewith. 'A cup-shaped 1 member 34 secured coaxially with the impeller 29 around the shaft 3| extends in overlapping relation with respect to the sealing member 33 and is provided with an outwardly extending flange to throw liquid outwardly into a receiving chamber formed by a flanged member 35 fitted in an annular recess formed in the housing wall. From the chamber formed by this member liquid drains through a conduit 36 into a nozzle member 31, which functions as will be hereinafter described.

The impeller 29 around the central portion 30 is provided with a plurality of vanes 38 shaped to effectively form an air pump in the particular construction in which it is incorporated. At one end of the impeller is provided with an annular flange 39 sealing the space between the vanes and forming thereby compartments in combination with the retaining wall at the other end of the vanes, to be hereinafter described.

An inwardly projecting flange 40 terminates in alignment with an inwardly directing flange 41 formed on the housing wall to cooperatively form a part of the liquid seal. The outer side of the flange, or wall, 39 is provided with a series of annular ridges 42, which cooperate in mating relation with a plurality of similar ridges 43 on the housing wall to form a labyrinth sealing passage between the impeller end wall and the housing wall.

As shown in Figure 4, the housing 21 is provided with an impeller chamber somewhat elliptical in cross section, whereby a pair of crescent-shaped chambers 44 are formed at diametrically opposite locations around the impeller. This pump is being described in detail, as it contains certain novel features of construction particularly adapted for its use in the device of the invention. For a more complete description, however, of a pump of this nature and of its mode of operation, the Nash Patent No. 1,091,529, March 31, 1914, is referred to. Figure 7 of this patent shows a two-compartment pump very similar in its general construction to that shown and herein described. I

As best shown in Figure 4, a crescent-shaped water compartment 45 is formed around the upper side of the pump housing 27 above the impeller compartment. A filling plug 46 provides means for filling the compartment with liquid to the desired level.

A plate 41, having the same outside shape as the housing 21, is fitted over the open face of said housing opposite the end wall. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, said plate is provided with a plurality of recesses forming conduits in combination with the housing 27 and the cover plate 48,- which is fitted over the plate 41, suitable gaskets being utilized between the cover plate and the plate 41 andbetween the plate 41 and the housing 21. The plate 41 is provided at its bottom edge with an air intake conduit 49 provided with an orifice 49' used for starting, as will be hereinafter described. The conduit 49 communicates with a recess, forming a conduit 50. Said conduit communicates through an opening through the plate with the impeller adjacent the central portion 30 and through a second opening 52 with the impeller at a diametrically located point. The openings 5| and 52 are joined by recesses formed in the plate 41. An outlet conduit 53 at the lower edge of the plate 41 communicates by means of a conduit 54 formed by a recess in the plate 41 with an opening 55 extending through the plate. Said opening places the conduit 54 in communication with the compartment 45 in the top of the pump housing. It will be noted that the opening 55 is at the uppermost point in said compartment. An opening 56, somewhat lower vertically than the open.- ing 55, forms a means of communication between the compartment 45 and branch conduits 51 formed by recesses in the plate 41. Said conduits, which form the means for discharging air from the pump chamber, communicate therewith through diametrically positioned openings 58.

The nozzle member 31, previously described as conducting water from the liquid seal, extends into the inlet conduit 50, being formed with an end portion to produce somewhat of a suction effect, whereby liquid delivered therefrom is entrained with the air and is drained into the inlet side of the pump impeller. An opening 59 formed at the lowermost point of the impeller chamber communicates also with the conduit 36, whereby liquid draining therefrom passes through the nozzle member 31. During normal operation of the pump, the liquid escaping through the opening 59 is entrained in the air stream and returned to the pump chamber.

A conduit 60 formed by a recess in the plate 41 communicates through an opening 6| with the lowermost point in the liquid chamber 45 at one side thereof. Said conduit delivers the liquid back into the inlet passage 50. A valve 62, extending outwardly through the cover plate 48, provides means for regulating the flow of liquid through the conduit 60.

A conduit 63, formed by a recess in the cover plate 48, communicates through an opening 64 extending through the plate 41 with the water chamber 45 at the end opposite the communication of the conduit 60. At its other end the conduit 63 communicates with the conduit 60 ahead of the orifice 62, whereby said orifice regulates the flow of liquid from both ends of the compartment 45.

In the operation of a pump as above described, the motor may be considered as being in operation with the impeller of the pump rotating without any pumping action. To put the pump into operation, the cock 49' is closed and liquid is poured into the chamber 45, filling said chamber up to the filler opening. In the commercial embodiment of this device, the chamber 45 is constructed of such a size as to contain sufiicient liquid for the desired period of operation. The liquid fills the impeller chamber and seals the ends of the impeller vanes between the vanes and the chamber. The cook 49 is then opened to provide an air inlet to the pump casing. A pump action immediately begins, acting on the principle of the previously mentioned Nash patent. Air is drawn in through the conduit 50 and is discharged along with a certain amount of water through the discharge conduit 51 and the .opening 56 into the chamber 45 for the liquid level therein. A large amount of the water entrained with the air, due to agitation in the impeller chamber, drops out in the chamber 45. A certain amount, however, passes on with the air through the outlet conduit 53.

The liquid in the pump chamber is gradually depleted as above described. After a certain amount of liquid has been removed in the course of operation, the liquid seal is broken between the ends of the vanes and the pump chamber. As soon as this happens, even in an irregular manner, the inlet suction is reduced. Water normally entrained from the nozzle member 3'! flows downwardly through the air intake. The escape of liquid from the pump chamber through the opening 59 hastens the unsealing action, once it has started, and completely breaks the seal after a short period of such an irregular type of operation. Liquid from the chamber 45 drains through the conduit 60 into the inlet conduit 50. The liquid also drains from the pump chamber, as previously described. The impeller is then free to rotate without any appreciable friction and continues in operation whenever the motor is in operation without, however, the pumping of any air.

It will be understood from the above description that the gas pump constituting this invention is particularly adapted for uses where pumping action is desirable for a predetermined length of time. By regulating the amount of liquid introduced into the pump chamber, the length of time which the pump will operate until the liquid seal is broken can be predetermined with a fair degree of accuracy. Of particular importance is the fact that the pump does not have any bearings which act to produce friction when the pump is not delivering air.

Although applicants claim as their invention any modification covered by the appended claims and all uses to which the device may be put, it is to be understood that the pump is particularly adapted for milk cooling devices as described and claimed in the parent application of which this application is a division.

What is claimed is:

1. An air moving means comprising a casing, an impeller having radially extending blades mounted in the casing, means for continuously rotating said impeller, means for conducting a measured amount of liquid to the casing for sealing the impeller blades with respect to the casing, an inlet to the casing and an outlet therefrom through which air is circulated when the sealing liquid is in the casing, said impeller during operation acting to agitate the liquid whereby a substantial part of it is carried away in a predetermined time thereby breaking the seal between the blades and the casing, and means effective when the seal is so broken to drain the remaining liquid from the casing.

2. An air moving means comprising a casing, an impeller mounted in the casing, means for continuously rotating said impeller, means for conducting a measured amount of liquid to the casing for sealing the impeller with respect to the casing, an inlet to the casing and an outlet therefrom through which air is circulated when the sealing liquid is in the casing, said impeller acting to atomize and agitate the liquid whereby a substantial part of it is carried away in a predetermined time, and means to drain the remaining liquid from the casing when a sufficient amount of it has been removed to break the seal between the impeller and the casing.

3. An air pump comprising a casing formed with an impeller chamber, an impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber, said chamber being formed with an enlarged portion of a smooth contour adjacent one section of the impeller, an inlet conduit communicating with said chamber at the enlarged portion'adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, a Water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in gravity fed communication with the inlet conduit, means'for metering the flow of water from said chamber to said conduit, an air outlet conduit communicating with the impeller chamber adjacent the impeller blades in advance of the enlarged portion in the direction of rotation of the impeller and with the top of the water chamber, and a discharge conduit communicating with the top of the water chamber.

4. An air pump comprising a casing formed with an impeller chamber, an impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber, said chamber being formed with an enlarged portion of a smooth contour adjacent one section of the impeller, an inlet conduit communicating with said chamber at the enlarged portion adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, a water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in gravity fed communication with the inlet conduit, an air outlet conduit communicating with the impeller chamber adjacent the impeller blades in advance of the enlarged portion in the direction of rotation of the impeller and with the top of the water chamber, means including a removable closure for supplying water to said chamher, and a discharge conduit communicating directly with the top of the water chamber.

5. An air pump; comprising a casing open at one side formed with an impeller chamber, an im peller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber, said chamber being formed with an enlarged portion, of a smooth contour adjacent one section of the impeller, a cover plate fitted over said casing, an inlet conduit formed in said plate communicating with said chamber at the enlarged portion adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, a water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in gravity fed communication with the inlet conduit, means carried by the cover plate for metering the flow of Water from said chamber-to said conduit, an air outlet conduit formed in the cover plate communicating with the impeller chamber adjacent the impeller blades in advance of the enlarged portion in the direction of rotation of the ii peller and with the top of the water chamber, and a discharge conduit formed in the cover plate communicating with the top of the water chamher.

6. In an air pump having a casing formed with an impeller chamber, an, impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber, said chamber being formed with an enlarged portion of a smooth Contour adjacent one section of the impeller, an inlet conduit communicating with said chamber adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, said inlet being located at the enlarged portion of the impeller chamber, and an air outlet opening formed in the casing communicating therewith in advance of the enlarged portion of the chamber in the direction of rotation of the impeller, and in combination therewith;

a water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in communication with the air inlet, means for regulating the flow of water from said chamber to said inlet, said air outlet conduit communicating with the water chamber above the normal liquid level therein, and a discharge conduit communicating with the water chamber above the normal liquid level therein.

'7. An air pump comprising a casing formed with an impeller chamber, an impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber, said chamber being formed with an enlarged portion of a smooth contour adjacent one section of the impeller, an inlet conduit communicating with said chamber adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, said inlet being located at the enlarged portion of the impeller chamber, an air outlet opening formed in the casing communicating therewith in advance of the enlarged portion of the chamber in the direction of rotation of the impeller, a water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in communication with the air inlet, said air outlet conduit communicating with the water chamber at the upper end thereof above the normal liquid level therein, and a discharge conduit communicating with the water chamber above the normal liquid level therein. 7

8. An air pump comprising a casing formed with an impeller chamber, an impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber, said chamber being formed with an enlarged portion of a smooth contour adjacent one section of the impeller, an inlet conduit communicating with said chamber adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, said inlet being located at the enlarged portion of the impeller chamber, an air outlet opening formed in the casing communicating therewith in advance of the enlarged portion of the chamber in the direction of rotation of the impeller, a water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in communication with the air inlet, said air outlet conduit communicating with the water chamber at the upper end thereof above the normal liquid level therein, a discharge conduit communicating with the water chamber above the normal liquid level therein, and means to supply water to said chamher.

9. An air pump comprising a casing formed with an impeller chamber substantially cylindrical at each end and flattened at the sides connecting said ends, an impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber on an axis centrally thereof, said impeller being positioned between the flattened portions of the chamber, said casing being formed with a pair of diametrically positioned inlets communicating with said chamber adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, said inlets being located .at the cylindrical upper end thereof above the normal liquid level therein, and a discharge conduit communicating with the water chamber above the normal liquid level therein. 7

10. An air pump comprising a casing formed with an impeller chamber substantially cylindrical at each end and flattened at the sides connecting said ends, an impeller formed with circumferentially spaced radially projecting blades rotatably mounted in said chamber on an aXis centrally thereof, said impeller being positioned between the flattened portions of the chamber, said casing being formed with a pair of diametrically positioned inlets communicating with said chamber adjacent the inner ends of the impeller blades, said inlets being located atthe cylindrical ends of the impeller chamber, a pair of air outlet openings formed in the casing communicating therewith adjacent the flattened sides of the chamber, an air inlet conduit communicating with said air inlets, a water chamber formed in the casing with its lower portion in communication with the air inlet conduit, said air outlet conduits communicating with the water chamber at the upper end thereof above the normal liquid level therein, a discharge conduit communicating with the water chamber above the normal liquid level therein, and means to supply water to said cham- 10 her.

WILLIAM F. BORGERD. FRED L. MCCUNE. CHARLES A. UHEREK. 

